FUN-travel: Scotland – Edinburgh – Day 1 & 2
October 9, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Scotland – Edinburgh – Day 1 & 2
Day 20 – Monday, October 3 – Edinburgh – thick clouds, bursts of rain followed by bursts of sunshine, 50’s – blue skies at 6 pm
Marriott Dalmahoy Castle & Country Club
- Rest
- Relax
- Recharge
- FUN-food – still captive here – Caesar salad (not the same as US) med rare Scottish hamburger (unbelievably pure meat, not greasy & wonderful flavor) – Raimat Tempranillo, Spain (wine maker from Australia)
Myth – rooms are cheaper if booked on line rather than walking in last minute
FUN-damental truth – maybe in peak season but not now – but beware, they will show you the most expensive room & if you ask for a cheaper room or another hotel/B&B option they magically find a cheaper room (this has happened 3 X’s so far)
Day 21 – Tuesday, October 4 – Edinburgh – thick clouds, bursts of rain followed by bursts of sunshine, very windy, much colder, low 50’s – Depart 9:30
- 1st stop – Morrison’s grocery store (actually wanted Tesco but got lost) stock up on water, snacks & wine
Royal Yacht Britannia Dining Room
- 2nd stop– 10:30 – Park & Ride – 3 miles from hotel only $5 – all day bus ride per person – takes 30 minutes (10 miles to city center)
Sir Walter Scott Monument
- 3rd stop – TI for maps & city bus tour (they have 4 options) opt for 2 day pass that includes use of all 4 buses plus entry to 3 attractions – Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh Castle & Holyroodhouse Palace
- 4th stop – Costa Coffee for cappuccinos
- 5th stop – Hertz to fix removing the charges for extra insurance (cost is almost 500 lbs & Visa covers all of that) told we have to have Glasgow office approval since we rented there & no one answers the phone – try customer service & they say same thing
- 6th stop – Waverly Bridge Hop On, Hop Off Bus – Mac City tour – 50 minute w/live local guide
- 7th stop – Waverly Bridge Hop On, Hop Off Bus – Majestic tour – takes a slightly different & longer route
- 8th stop – Royal Britannia Yacht – commissioned 1-11-1954 transported the royal family for more than 40 yrs & sailed 1 million miles (equivalent to once around the world for every year) w/a crew of more than 200 – Prince Charles & Diana honeymooned on it & the queen said, “This is the only place I can truly relax.” (hey, I could too!)
- 9th stop – back to Hertz – get Glasgow to eliminate extra charges
- 10th stop – 5:00 somewhere is Deacon Brodies Pub for Guinness, Tennent’s Lager
- FUN-food – Mamma’s Pizza in Grassmarket – spinach & cranberries salad w/light vinaigrette – pepperoni, sausage, onion, mushroom pizza – wonderful Australian McLaren Vale Shiraz (never a disappointment)
Deacon Brodies Tavern
FF – (FUN-facts) – Edinburgh is Scotland’s showpiece & a tourist delight! once the most crowded city in Europe – famed for its skyscrapers & filth – rich & poor lived atop one another
FUN-travel: Scotland – Glasgow to Isle of Skye to Edinburgh
October 6, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Scotland – Glasgow to Isle of Skye to Edinburgh
Day 18 – Saturday, October 1 – Glasgow to Isle of Skye – rain but still not cold, low 60’s – Depart 10 am
Eilean Donan Castle
Hertz pickup – hoping for smaller car – booked mid size automatic & get VW station wagon (better than the Renault) – take off w/pouring rain
- 1st stop – Bonnie Braes – bad coffee & scone (half way up Loch Lomand – no other options)
- 2nd stop – Fort Williams – good cappuccino & grocery store for snacks & drinks
- 3rd stop – Eilean Donan Castle – just too sweet! & Scotland’s most photogenic countryside castle
- Rain has persisted much of the day w/low thick clouds & fog swallowing the mountain tops
- 4th stop – town of Portree, Isle of Skye 5:45 pm – Almondbank Guest House – 72 lbs – Effie the owner suggests the Rosedale Hotel restaurant for dinner – drive 1.5 miles to cute harbor town of colorful store fronts & boats
- FUN-food – dozen Loch Harport oysters w/tomato chili salsa, grilled goats cheese w/sun blushed tomato & rocket salad, steamed Arasaig mussels in white wine, garlic, parsley, cream – these could be the best we’ve had so far!
Portree Harbor
Day 19 – Sunday, October 2 – Isle of Skye to Edinburgh – clouds w/blue sky in west – sprinkles but still not cold, low 60’s – Depart 9:30 am
- Actually got up early enough to experience exquisite dawn over the mountains and harbor!
Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness
- Depart 9:30 for narrow, twisty (more single lane roads) of Trotternish Peninsula – stark vistas of jagged rock formation
- 1st stop – 11:30 – latte/cappuccino stop in Broadford
- 2nd stop – 1:00 Loch Ness Urquhart Castle – too cheap to actually pay to go in so take photos from road
- 3rd stop – 2:00 Inverness for snack & gas – horror strikes when on way back to car realize you have to pay to park at the grocery store! no ticket thank god!
- Arrive Edinburgh 5:45 (takes 1 hr to find Dalmahoy Country Club) using the last of Marriott points – 5 days, 100,000 pts and free!
- FUN-food – pretty much captive here but Club House food is decent – salad of rocket, crumbled goat cheese, apples, toasted macadamia nuts – Murgh Makhani – butter chicken w/nan bread, chutney & rice (big Indian population here too)
Rare Blue Butt Sheep
Myth – you always get accurate directions on Google maps (or any internet provider)
FUN-damental truth – NO! & the reason is many old estates & castles have no real address & you’re better off getting directions directly from them
FUN-travel: Scotland – Glasgow – 3 days
October 5, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Scotland – Glasgow – 3 days
Day 15 – Wednesday, September 28 – Dublin, Ireland to Glasgow, Scotland – blue skies & full on sunshine – 60’s -unseasonably warm!
Sunny Loch Lomand
- Arrive 5:20 – take taxi to Acorn Hotel – very cute boutique hotel on edge of city center
- Suppose to be king bed & told they only have singles & doubles – could have sworn I paid more for that
- FUN-food – Charlie @ front desk suggests The Sisters (traditional Scottish) – Islay Island Scallops w/black pudding, side salad of various greens, onions, tomatoes, 10 hr slow roasted Scottish beef on mashed potatoes & cream sauce – VG
Day 16 -Thursday, September 29 – Glasgow – partly blue skies – still unseasonably warm! low 60’s
- Check reservation on laptop & shows Executive King Room – head to front desk & Charlie didn’t realize the Exec room had a bigger bed
- Take nice walk to city center (30 minutes)
- 1st stop – cobbler to see if shoes that died can be fixed – NOT!
- 2nd stop – BUY UK ROAD ATLAS! w/detailed maps
3rd stop – TI (Tourist Information) – Plan for tomorrow – oh what to do! – take train to Loch Lomand? go malt whiskey tasting?
4th stop – Starbucks Cappuccino
5thstop – hotel to change to big room we paid for – SWEET & much nicer – bigger bed & bathroom
Auchentoshan Distillery
FUN-lunch – Budda Restaurant – see nachos on menu – feel a hankering for ” home food” – hot & spicy w/jalapenos, meat chili, & sour cream – not bad
take nap
FUN-food – Mother’s India – (Glasgow has a huge Indian population & comfort food for us on the road) when asked about Indian food Charlie suggested – order 3 sides – yellow lentils w/chili’s, baked cauliflower & potato w/spices, & sautéed spinach & mustard greens – one entree of lamb in red curry w/rice & garlic nan bread – OMG we have enough food to feed a family of 5! & the least expensive meal we’ve had – everything VG!
Day 17 -Friday, September 30 – Glasgow – partly blue skies /scattered sprinkles – still unseasonably warm! YEAH
Depart 10:30 for train station – 50 minute train ride
1st stop – Balloch & Loch Lomand – nice stroll along lake – have picnic of leftovers from last night – continue walk to Balloch Castle & Gardens – back to train
FUN Fudge
2nd stop – Dalmuir for Auchentoshan Distillery – only triple distilled single malt Scotch – directions read “15 minute walk” takes an hour (should have gotten off at Kilpatrick but doesn’t say that because more trains go to Dalmuir) go figure! – make the last tour 4:00 & get sample – we like Jameson better – take cab to train station
3rd stop – McPhabb’s pub – try Scottish lager
FUN-food – pouring rain, no umbrella – so lunch leftovers, peanuts, chips & some wine of course in our room